Portable platform.



W. P. TARRANT. PORTABLE PLATFORM. AI5PLI0ATI0N FILED MAY 23, 1910.

985,417 1., Patented Feb.28, 1911.

TTNTTE TAT WILLIAM 1. TARRANT, OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE PLATFORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

Application filed May 23, 1910. Serial No. 562,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. TARRANT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Saratoga Springs, in the county of Saratoga and Stateof New York, United States of America, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Portable Platforms, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to portable platforms especially adapted for use ontank cars, and its object is to provide a simple structure which may bereadily fixed in place, and by means of which certain work in connectionwith cars of this type may be facilitated. This and other advantageswill appear in the following specification, in which I will describe myinvention, and the novel features of which I will point out in theappended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the dome anda part of the upper portion of a tank car with one of my improvedplatforms applied thereto. This figure also shows a pump and a devicefor securing the pump to the platform. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sameparts. In Fig. 3 I have shown in sectional plan view the supportingframe. This section is taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows aholding clamp in side elevation. In Fig. 5 another detail ofconstruction is illustrated, this figure showing in sectional elevationa holding block and the manner in which it is secured to the platform.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of thefigures.

designates a tank car and 11 its dome.

12 is a pump by means of which the contents of the car may be removed.

13 designates the handle of this pump and. let its spout.

designates a frame preferably of rectangular form. This may be built upof pipe and pipe fittings as shown. Four uprights 21 are provided whichare rigidly connected by lateral pipes 22 screwed into pipe fittings.Thus a rigid rectangular frame is formed of such dimensions that it maybe placed over the dome and the fixtures thereon of tank car.

23 is a holding band, the ends of which are threaded and pass throughone of the lateral pipes 22 of the frame. These ends are provided withwing-nuts 24. h- At 25 supporting bands or chains are provided whichpass loosely about the holding band and adjacent lateral pipes. Thisband is somewhat flexible and is adapted to pass around the dome of thecar. Two adjustable brackets are also provided which may be constructedof horizontal pipes connected by elbows with vertical pipes 31. Thesevertical pipes are all provided with a plurality of holes drilledthrough them horizontally, through which pins 32 may be inserted. Thedistance between the vertical pipes 31 is the same as that between theend uprights 21 and they are of smaller diameter so that they may beinserted within the latter. 7

A pair of planks 33 run transversely be tween the horizontal pipes ofthe two brackets a desired distance apart and are secured thereto bymeans of clamps 34.. The clamps are hook-shaped with threaded shanksprojecting through holes in the planks which are provided for thispurpose and are supplied with wing-nuts 35, by means of which they maybe tightened.

15 is a holding block for the pump. This is provided with a groove 16 inwhich the spout let of the pump is adapted to rest. A chain 17 issecured to the sides of the block and passes over the nozzle, thussecuring the pump to the block. Projecting downwardly through the blockat right-angles to its under surface is a bolt 18. This runs downthrough a hole in one of the planks 33 and is provided with a nut 19which holds it in place, but around which it may be turned. A hole forthe reception of this bolt is provided in each of the planks.

The tops of tank cars are obviously of such forms that they do notafford good foothold for workmen. -When their contents are to be removeditis often necessary to build up a scaffold over their domes. This isalso difficult on account of cylindrical forms of the car and its dome.

The device which I have invented is easily and quickly put in place andsecurely held by means of the band 23, the length of which may be variedto fit domes of different slzes.

The height of the platform may be raised or lowered by moving theadjustable brackets up or down and inserting the pins 32 in the properholes.

A platform of this character is particularly desirable when the contentsof the car are to be removed by a hand pump. The distance between theplanks is sufficient to allow the upright portion of the pump to be letdown into the car between them. Then its spout is secured to the holdingblock in the manner previously pointed out. The block is rotatable aboutits bolt so that the spout may be turned in a desired position. It isalso possible to turn the spout around in the groove of the block sothat the lower end of the pump may be directed to the desired point inthe car. Thus the pump will be secured in position and the platform willprovide a suitable stand or scaffold upon -which those working the pumpmay st and.

hat I claim is.-

1. A portable platform for tank cars comprising a rigid rectangularframe of uprights and laterally connecting side members, a holding bandconnected with one of the side members and adapted to secure the frameto the dome of a car by compressing the dome between the band and theside M member with which it is connected, and means for tightening theband; a platform supported by said frame, and means for adjusting theheight of said platform relative to the frame. I

7 2. A portable platform for tank cars comprising a rigid rectangularframe of uprights and laterally connecting side members, a holding bandconnected with one of the side members and adapted to secure the frameto the dome of a car by compressing Q ing the height. of said platfo inrelative to the dome between the band and the side member with which itis connected, and means for tightening the band; a platform supported bysaid frame, means for adjustthe frame, and a pump holding device on theplatform.

3. A portable platform for tank cars comprising a rigid rectangularframe having upright-s and lateral connecting side members adapted to beplaced over the dome of a car, a holding band connected with one of theside members and adapted to secure the frame to the dome by pressing thedome between the band and the side member with which it is connected,the ends of said holding band being threaded, and nuts on said threadedportions for tightening the band.

4. A portable platform for tank cars comprising a rigid rectangularframe of pipe and pipe fittings having four uprights and lateralconnecting side members and adapted to be placed over the dome of a car,a holding band connected with one of the side members and adapted tosecure the frame to the dome of the car by pressing the dome between theband and the side memher with which it is connected, the ends of saidband being threaded and provided with nuts on said threaded portions fortightening the band; a platform, adjustable brackets therefor arrangedto fit within the upri hts, and means for adjusting the height of theplatform relative to the frame,

5. A portable platform for tank cars comprising a rigid rectangularframe of pipe and pipe fittings having four uprights and lateralconnecting side members and adapted to be placed over the dome of a car,a holding band connected with one of the side members and adapted tosecure the frame to the dome of the car by pressing the dome between theband and the side member with which it is connected, the ends of saidband being threaded and provided with nuts on said threaded portions fortightening the band; a pair of adjustable brackets arranged to fitwithin the uprights, a pair of planks connecting said brackets andaffixed thereto, means for holding the brackets at desired heightsrelative to the frame, and a pump holding device pivotally connectedwith either one of the planks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

W M. P. TAR-RANT.

Vitnesses W. R. NnJsoN, ETTA TUoH STEMBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of ZPatents,

Washington, D. G.

